Make your positions clear: Marandi asks BJP/JMM

Dumka: Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) chief Babulal Marandi on Wednesday asked the ruling allies JMM and BJP to clarify "who is lying" in the wake of the former claiming to have struck a purported power sharing deal with the latter.

"We don`t know who is lying as the JMM says there was a deal while the BJP denies it. They should clarify it at the earliest as the people should know who is speaking the truth," Marandi, the former chief minister said.

Reminding the BJP how it had immediately withdrawn support to the erstwhile Shibu Soren in 2010 after he voted for the UPA on a confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, Marandi said the same situation arose during the motion on FDI in the lower house this time.

"Going by that example, the BJP should have pulled out the government. But it is clinging on to power even after the JMM claiming to have an understanding on a power sharing formula," claimed Marandi.

He was referring to Soren`s vote on April 27, 2010 in favour of the UPA in a cut motion in Lok Sabha despite being the chief minister at the head of JMM/BJP/Ajsu party coalition.

Marandi compared that voting with JMM MP Kameshwar Baitha voting in favour of the foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail in the Lok Sabha and another MP Sanjiv Kumar abstaining in the upper House earlier this month.